Tom Brady knows sturdy foundation is set now

FOXBORO — This is the point of the year when Patriots quarterback Tom Brady works tirelessly toward the goal of gaining acceptance from his teammates, as if it were ever in doubt.

By Jeff Howe

capecodtimes.com

By Jeff Howe

Posted Jun. 11, 2014 at 2:56 PM
Updated Jun 11, 2014 at 2:58 PM

By Jeff Howe

Posted Jun. 11, 2014 at 2:56 PM
Updated Jun 11, 2014 at 2:58 PM

» Social News

FOXBORO — This is the point of the year when Patriots quarterback Tom Brady works tirelessly toward the goal of gaining acceptance from his teammates, as if it were ever in doubt.

While the scoreboards at Gillette Stadium remain unplugged, accountability is the only thing worth measuring in Brady’s eyes. It’s about long hours in the film room, intense sweats in the weight room and strong mental aptitude on the practice field.

Brady wants the Pats to set a base as they close out their nine-week offseason workout program with four final organized team activities this week and mandatory minicamp next week. The quarterback, who turns 37 in August, has long since understood the Patriots can’t build toward a title in the fall and winter without establishing a rock-steady foundation in the spring and summer.

Oh, and for many, many seasons after that.

“That’s what it was 15 years ago when I started, and it hasn’t changed at all,” Brady said yesterday at Gillette. “I think things for me have become just more clearly focused for what I need to do to help us. Hopefully, I’m answering those questions a long time from now, too, and you guys can just reprint the stories or whatever you want to write now. I want to do this for this team for as long as I possibly can. I love playing football for this team and for this organization. My goal is to continue to play at a high level, and there’s nothing that really gets in the way of that.”

Brady expects the same from his 89 peers, too. The cast of common men have worked out in bland T-shirts and shorts over the past few weeks as they blend together with the purpose of the greater goal. After all, Brady knows he can’t expect the highest standard from everyone else if they can’t expect it out of him.

“The thing I’ve learned over the years is you’ve got to pay the price in advance,” Brady said. “You just can’t run on the field and expect things to be better without putting in the time and extra effort. I try to be really consistent and dependable for our guys, and I think that’s what the quarterback position needs to be.”

Brady added that he can’t screw up a series of plays and expect to keep their trust, or misfire with his pre-snap communication and believe the play has a chance to be successful. That’s the responsibility he harnesses as the Patriots work toward their set standard of championship football.

That mentality has been customary for years, and it filters throughout the organization.

“There’s nobody that I’d rather play for than (Robert) Kraft and no other coach I’d rather play for than coach (Bill) Belichick because I think we’ve got the greatest chance to win every year,” Brady said. “That’s a really important part of playing the game. That’s why we’re out here working hard. That’s why we pay the price, it’s to go out and win games. It’s not really for individual recognition. It’s for team success.

“That’s what you’re trying to establish this time of year, what kind of team you’re going to be, who is willing to put it all on the line when there’s no glory in this. There’s no glory in an OTA practice. There’s no glory in the weight room or out there on the conditioning field, but it will show up at some point. It’s a long season. At some point, the mental toughness, the discipline of the team always shows up. Those are the things that we’re trying to work on.”

That philosophy is why Brady scoffed at the notion that there could be any stats comparable to wins and losses. Brady, whose .775 winning percentage is the best in the Super Bowl era, proclaimed his most successful teammates were those who measured themselves by their intensity level in offseason workouts, even if they only competed against themselves.

Once again, the theme was the prep work for the season, which is only gauged by the team’s result in its final playoff game. That’s the type of compartmentalization that has bred Brady’s success.